NRL boss vows to maintain hardline stance

Date: June 19 2013

Joe Barton

Blake Ferguson's future is still in limbo after the Canberra winger was stood down for at least four weeks as NRL chief executive Dave Smith said the code's hardline stance against misbehaving players was here to stay.

Ferguson was on Wednesday made unavailable for selection by the Raiders for the four-week period while he undertakes an extensive alcohol management program.

Ferguson is the third player in the past week to be stood down for off-field conduct, following his dumping from the NSW team when charged with indecent assault over an alleged nightclub incident.

North Queensland prop James Tamou was fined $20,000 and banned for two games, including State of Origin game two, after admitting to a high-range drink-driving charge.

And South Sydney powerhouse George Burgess also copped a two-game ban and $10,000 fine after being charged with two counts of wilful damage by Queensland police when he hurled a road sign through a car window.

Smith said players will need to quickly get the message, because the penalties would not be disappearing.

"The bad behaviours that we've seen, they're not acceptable to the fans," he said on Wednesday.

"They're not acceptable to the players. And frankly they're not acceptable to us.

"Those players involved with bad behaviour, what they'll do ... they'll find themselves on the sidelines.

The good news for Ferguson is that his contract with the Raiders has not been torn up, despite being handed his "final warning" earlier this year when photographed drinking on a rooftop with then-teammate Josh Dugan instead of attending a recovery session.

Both the NRL and Raiders will await the outcome of the court case before making a final determination on Ferguson's immediate future.

The NRL had already suspended Ferguson's registration indefinitely, citing repeated behavioural issues involving the abuse of alcohol, while it awaited the outcomes from the Canberra board.

"The NRL will review Ferguson's progress with the club after a four-week period and assess his eligibility at that point," said the NRL in a statement on Wednesday.

Calls for players to be given minders who could keep them out of trouble have been revisited following rugby league's latest week of shame.

However Canterbury boss Todd Greenberg, who will join the NRL as Smith's second-in-command in August, said that measure fails to address the issue of player misbehaviour.

"No, I don't think that really addresses the issue to be honest," Greenberg said.

"It's personal accountability. We've done it at the Bulldogs over a number of years, about holding our players accountable to standards.

"I think that's exactly what the game's done this week, and will continue to do.

"... This is just another challenging week in the cycle that is rugby league.

"It won't get easier. There's always big issues to confront.

"But you're running a billion dollar business, and those issues need to be confronted."

This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.